Doing the Dew with a twist

 

Were you ever so sure you wouldn’t like something that you tried it to find out for sure? Mountain Dew, aka Mtn Dew is something I never got into. With all the hype over a HARD Mtn Dew, I was tempted to pop a top, still confident of the ensuing displeasure. Weird flex.

I met a woman who was talking southern history and doing the Dew came up. I asked if she tried the hard stuff. She had and deemed it to her liking. She even made some art work to commemorate it. Maybe like Andy Warhol’s soup can? I inquired but she said she didn’t show her work. But she was fine with continuing the conversation. We talked about girls who made prom dresses from Dew labels and other tributes. I asked where she purchased the drink, if it was at a gas station. It was, and we laughed. Then I asked the proper sort of glass in which to serve this elixir. She scrolled on her phone and I asked are you going to show me a… Correct. She showed me a Mason Jar mounted on a pedestal. These are often called a hillbilly wine glass. We laughed again.

The hard version comes in a zero sugar, Livewire orange and a Baja Blast. I tried the regular and it was not bad. But I’ve satisfied that urge and feel no need to try the other flavors. I’ve DONE the Dew. This brand is about as Southern as you can get.

More Southern flavors:

Ready to eat a lot of fish during Lent? Alchemy Spice Co. says “It’s Not Magic, It’s Alchemy.” Chattanooga is where they’ve been handcrafting artisan blends since 2003. You may not even know there is such a thing as blackening powder. They blend it, and it sure makes it easy to spice up that fish on Fridays!

Mrs. Renfro’s as we know that salsa lady’s line started in 1940 in Fort Worth, After surviving the Great Depression, George and Arthurine sold spices and vinegar from their house. She didn’t care for her first name and preferred to be called Mrs. Renfro. Well, that tidbit just makes me love this line even more. It is still family run.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie who loves Southern food stories. Share yours with her via panews@panews.com

If you like Cinco de Mayo

 

Cinco de Mayo fans, get ready, our day is coming. Have Taco Tuesday a day early, or enjoy some Mexican food two days in a row. You can do a lot with beans and rice. We sure have a lot of great restaurants in our area. If you are celebrating at home, try the candy idea below:

POV Salad Pop? Cocktail Candy? – Imagine you’re a kid and someone is trying to offer you candy flavored like cucumber and tamarind. I’d have been running away already. Toss in some coconut and “chamoyada yada yada” with chili lime and sea salt and add some decades of maturity. Where are we going with this? To Cinco de Mayo with Tamalitoz Chili Pops Chamoy by Sugarox. What a fiesta in your mouth. Other flavors are bits of straight up pineapple, etc. But these pops… I’m seeing them as some sort of adult beverage swizzle stick. Buc-ee’s is one place to get some of these flavors. Churros and Chocolat Caliete is a FLAVOR? That’s on Palomitaz Popcorn, a new addiction. Cinnamon sugar magic, but I didn’t notice the “fuego” of guajillo chili powder so much as I gobbled it down for breakfast. Just the fiesta, as promised. www.tamalitoz.com

Alchemy [al-kuh-mee] noun: any seemingly magical process of transforming elements into something new. I love this bit on the Alchemy Spice Company’s site noting what two brothers are thinking as they blend the freshest of flavors from Chattanooga, Tenn. Hey Cinco de Mayo fans, they have a new taco blend. But I’m focusing on their Blackening Powder, which turns any night into a total bayou Cajun experience. Potatoes, eggs, shrimp, fish and popcorn are some immediate uses that came to mind. I love the ease this jar of spices brings to the kitchen. The Curry Blend is also making me smile. It’s amazing what a little shake of this yellow powder can do for meals and snacks. Maybe it’s magic. Maybe it’s intuition. www.alchemyspicecompany.com

Kawaii Artists, try Elsewhere Watercolors to Go. A fine set of wrapped colors, a tilted stand for your brush and water and spiral of watercolor paper all fits into a plastic case that fits into your bag and prop on your restaurant table. Maybe you are a skilled artist, an aspiring one, or someone not above setting out a magnificent prop to attract inquiries. This kit is up for any skill level. I’m inspired just looking at it. Art does happen on the go, after all. FYI Kawaii is a Japanese concept extending beyond cute, adorable and lovely to charm and innocence. Think foodie art of winking tacos, blushing condiments and sushi rolls with little smiling faces, like they can’t wait for you to enjoy them. Actually, you can paint aggressive asparagus, wiley watermelon or coy kale if you like. 

 

Darragh Doiron is a a Port Arthur area foodie ready to fiesta at the drop of a sombrero. Share your foodie fun with her at darraghcastillo@icloud,com